Automatic sampler



Nov. 5, 1963 D. L. FUNK 3,109,306

AUTOMATIC SAMPLER Filed Feb. 13, 1962 m 32 kt 3 F 3 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. DONALD L Fu/vK ATTORNEYJ United States Patent 3,109,306 AUTOMATIC SAMPLER Donald L. Funk, 3% Reinthaler Drive, Bloomington, Ill. Filed Feb. 13, 1%2, Ser. No. 172,957 7 Claims. (Cl. 73422) through the upstream slot of the fixed sleeve for a fixed interval of time each time the rotatable sleeve rotates once. The rotatable tube stops with its slot communicating with the sample spout. At this time the sample is dumped into the sample spout and conveyed by any suitable means to the point at which a sample is tested.

It has been proposed herebefore to have a sample taking arrangement placed in a conveying conduit in a manner at least similar to that disclosed by me. Each of the prior art sample takers, however, has had serious shortcomings which prevent them from being capable of taking entirely true samples in substantially all fiowable materials conveyed through conduits. While there are some sample takers which are reasonably successful in taking samples from gravity feed conduits, their structure is such that they cannot operate effectively in a pneumatic conveying system. Others take samples in a manner that renders them incapable of taking a true cross-section sample in a conveyor tube that is either only partially filled or that is alternately partially filled or completely filled. Many of the prior devices are relatively complex in structure.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved and novel automatic sampling device for materials flowing in conduit.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic sampling device which will take a true sample of the materials being conveyed through the conduit.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an automatic sample taking device of extremely simple and rugged construction.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an automatic sample taking device which can be used in all types of conveying systems.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sample taker in which the sample is completely collected before any of it is expelled.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a sample taker which does not vent the conduit in which it is mounted.

There is a still further object of this invention to provide a sample taker which collects an equal amount of sample at all levels within the conduit each time a sample is taken.

It is another object of this invention to provide a sample taker that consists essentially of a double slotted stationary sleeve and a rotatable single slotted cup fitting within it.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent and apparent in the apparatus as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention will be described with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of conduit on which the sample taker is mounted, with portions of each broken away to illustrate construction more fully and conserve space; broken lines illustrate hidden parts;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and drawn to a substantially larger scale;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1, broken lines illustrating hidden parts and drawn to the same scale as FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the same line of FIGURE 1 as FIGURE 3 but with the sample tube in a different position.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the conduit 10 may be seen to have mounted in it and extending clear through it, in this case from top to bottom, a fixed sleeve 11. The fixed sleeve is secured to and sealed with respect to the conduit 10. Within sleeve 11 is the sample taking cup 12 which consists of a tube having an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of sleeve 11. A suitable hearing as at 14 is provided at the upper end of sleeve 11. A shaft 15 extends through the bearing 14 and is secured to the sample taking cup 12. Shaft 15 may be rotated one complete revolution at predetermined intervals and at a predetermined speed by any suitable structure, the one described below being suitable and satisfactorily flexible as to alignment requirements of the motor unit with respect to the shaft 15.

As herein shown, a friction disc 16 is secured to shaft 15. A small friction wheel 17 engages the friction disc 16 and rotates it whenever the friction wheel 17 is rotated. Friction wheel 17 is mounted on the shaft 18 of the speed reducer unit 19 which is constructed integrally with the motor 20. Motor 20 is provided with power through the wires at 21 and 22 via a control-timer unit 24 which is connected to any suitable source of power as by the cable 25. When the sample is taken it is dumped into a sample spout 26. A vibrator 27 is associated with the sample spout and sample taker to make sure that any sample which has been taken will be completely ejected from the sample taker. The vibrator is important, of course, only when samples are being taken of finely divided material such as flour and the like which could conceivably pack or bridge the sample taking pocket if no such vibrator were provided. Free flowing materials such as small grains and the like will empty into spout 26 Without the vibrator. Wires 28 and 29 connect the vibrator to controltimer 24.

Spout 26 is connected in any suitable manner by a conventional conveying means (not shown) to any point where the samples are tested, as, for example, a sample testing laboratory or the like.

Turning now for a moment to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that sleeve .11 is securely fastened in conduit .10 by Welding or the like as at 30. Sample taking tube 12 will be seen to extend beyond the lower edge of conduit 10 but has a bottom member 31 secured in it which coincides with the bottom tube. Also clearly visible in this view is the slot 32 in the sample taking tube :12.

Turning now to FIGURE 3, the sample taking tube (12 is seen to have its slot or opening 32 aligned with the slot 33 of the sleeve '11. In this position the sample taking tube 12 is open to the flow of materials in conduit 10 and material can flow into the sample taking tube.

In FIGURE 4, the slot 33 of sleeve 11 is shown as being closed off or sealed by the wall of sample tube E2 and slot 32 of the sample taking tube is now facing in the direction of the sample chute 26. Via slot 34 tube 1-2 communicates with the sample spout 26. In this position the sample taker empties its contents into the sample taking chute or spout 26. lIn FIGURES 3 and 4, the sample taker spout may be seen as at 35 to be securely welded to or otherwise aflixed to the sleeve 11 but to have its outer edge tangentially arranged with respect to sleeve =11 so that the impediment in conduit is no wider than the width of sleeve 11.

Operation The sample taker may be installed in any conduit in which it is desired to take a sample and the timer control box 24 is set for any desired interval of time. At the predetermined intervals for which the timer 24 is set, it automatically starts and operates the power unit 2% which through the gear reduction .19 and friction wheel 17 drives friction disc aid in one complete revolution.

The sample taking tube 12 starts from the position shown in FIGURE 4 and rotates in either direction one complete revolution. As soon as the sample taking tube 1J2 has rotated far enough for a portion of slot 32 to align with slot 33, the material flowing in conduit 10 may start entering into the sampling tube 12.

Rotation continues until the position of tube 12 is that shown in FIGURE 3, at which time the slots 32 and 33 are coincident and offer a maximum sample receiving condition. It can be seen in FIGURE 2 that the slots 32 and 33 extend the entire diameter of the two vertically so that material being conveyed through conduit 119 will be sampled throughout its interior dimension verticmly. Whether conduit 10 is being used for gravity conveying with the material lying on the lower reaches of the tube and simply sliding down it or whether it is a pneumatic conveyor in which the material is being supported in an air stream passing through conduit 10, a true sample of the material being conveyed will be taken at all levels.

Sample taking tube 12 continues to rotate until the slot '32, no longer aligns with any portion of slot 33 and at this point sample taking ceases. The speed of rotation of sample taking tube 12 may be adjusted by providing appropriate gear reduction and friction wheel 17 of appropriate size so as to leave the sample taking slot open for a desired period of time. "It will be noted also from an examination of FIGURE 4 that the slot 33 is completely sealed by the sides of rotating tube '12 before any portion of slot 32 begins to be exposed to slot 34. For this reason, the sample spout 26 is never vented to conduit '10. Thus, even if the conduit :10 is a pneumatic conveyor of some nature, the sample taker will not, under any circumstances, vent the sample taking structure 26 to the inside of tube 10 and hence there will be no interference of the normal conveying of the material through tube 10. When the sample taking tube 12 reaches the position shown in (FIGURE 4, the control box 24 or a conventional limit switch (not shown) terminates action of power unit and the sample taking tube stops at this point. In the event that the sample taker is being used with small grains and other free flowing materials, the sample will then automatically discharge itself into the sample spout 26 and be conveyed by any suitable means (not shown) to the sample analyzing room.

In the event that the sample taker is being used for finely divided materials such as flour, cement, or other powdered materials, at the time that the slot 32 aligns with the slot 34, the control mechanism 24 automatically engages t-he vibrator 27 and places it in operation to vibrate the entire sample taking structure sufficiently to dis charge the sample .in sample tube 12 and insures that it is discharged in the sample spout 26.

it is apparent that many modifications and variations of this invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sample taker for closed conduits in which materials fiow in a given direction from an upstream side comprising:

(A) a sleeve extending entirely through said conduit,

(1) said sleeve being fixed and sealed'to the walls of the conduit,

(2) said sleeve having slots facing upstream and downstream,

(B) a sample spout secured to said sleeve and communicating solely with said downstream slot,

(C) a tube closed at both ends and having a single slot therein rotatably mounted within said sleeve, and

( D) means secured to said tube for moving it circularly 360 at predetermined intervals and speed.

2. The sample taker of claim 1 in which said means for moving said tube comprises:

(A) a shaft secured to said tube and extending exteriorly of said sleeve,

(B) circular means secured to the extending portion of said shaft,

(C) power means mounted on said conduit and interconnected to said circular means, and

(D) a control means connected between a power source and said power means for turning on said power means at predetermined intervals for a predetermined length of time. 3. The sample taker of claim 2 in which said circular means is a friction disc and said power means drives a friction wheel frictionally engaging and rotating said friction disc.

4. The sample taker of claim 2 in which a vibrator is secured to said conduit adjacent the said sample chute and interconnected with said control means for vibrating said conduit and sample chute at predetermined intervals.

5. The sample taker of claim 1 in which: (A) vibrator means is secured to said conduit adjacent to said sample chute, and t (B) means for energizing said vibrator unit at predetermined intervals following the operation of said tube.

6. The sample taker of claim 1 in which the slots in said sleeve and said tube extend throughout the interior dimension of said conduit.

7. The sample taker of claim 1 in which said sleeve extends across said conduit from its top to its bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,063,725 Petersen June 3, 1913 1,256,413 Wiswell Feb. 12, 1918 2,164,498 Clark July 4, 1939 2,245,519 Bailey June 10, 1941 2,421,938 Held June 10, 1947 2,668,447 Lenhart Feb. 9, 1954 2,753,246 Shields July 3, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Weaver: A Device for Sampling Material Carried in Silt Bearing Streams, Dept. of Interior Information Circular 7249, August 1943. (Copy in Div. 36.) 

1. A SAMPLE TAKER FOR CLOSED CONDUITS IN WHICH MATERIALS FLOW IN A GIVEN DIRECTION FROM AN UPSTREAM SIDE COMPRISING: (A) A SLEEVE EXTENDING ENTIRELY THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, (1) SAID SLEEVE BEING FIXED AND SEALED TO THE WALLS OF THE CONDUIT, (2) SAID SLEEVE HAVING SLOTS FACING UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM, (B) A SAMPLE SPOUT SECURED TO SAID SLEEVE AND COMMUNICATING SOLELY WITH SAID DOWNSTREAM SLOT, (C) A TUBE CLOSED AT BOTH ENDS AND HAVING A SINGLE SLOT THEREIN ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID SLEEVE, AND (D) MEANS SECURED TO SAID TUBE FOR MOVING IT CIRCULARLY 360* AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS AND SPEED. 